The Quorn Hunt, usually called the Quorn, established in 1696, is one of the world's oldest

fox hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...

packs and claims to be the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

's most famous hunt. Its country is mostly in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, together with some smaller areas of

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

and

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. After the abolition of traditional fox hunting implemented by the

Hunting Act 2004 The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some strictly limited exemptions; the ...

, the Quorn continues to go out on four days of the week during the autumn and winter months, claiming to operate within the constraints of the law.

History

The hunt traces its origins to a pack of

foxhound A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on hor ...

s established in 1696 at Tooley Park,

, by the youthful Thomas Boothby (1677–1752). Its present name comes from the village of

Quorn Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products, or the company that makes them. Quorn originated in the UK and is sold primarily in Europe, but is available in 14 countries. The brand is owned by parent company Monde Nissin. Quorn is sold as bo ...

, also known as Quorndon, where the hounds were kennelled between 1753 and 1904.About the Hunt
page at quornhunt.co.uk They were established there by the hunt's second master,

Hugo Meynell Hugo Meynell (June 1735 – 14 December 1808) was an English country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1762 and 1780. He is generally seen as the father of modern fox hunting, became Master of Fox Hounds for the Q ...

, who bought Quorndon Hall from the

4th Earl Ferrers Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * Fourth (album), ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * The Fourth (1972 film) ...

. Following more than half a century under the leadership of Boothby, Meynell was Master for forty-seven years. He was known for his innovative mastery of fox hunting and has been called 'The Primate of the Science'. In 1905, new kennels and stables were built at Paudy Lane,

Seagrave Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of around 500, measured at the 2011 census as 546, It is north of Sileby and close to Thrussington and Barrow upon Soar. Histor ...

; these are now

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

s. The hunt's present-day kennels are at Gaddesby Lane,

Kirby Bellars Kirby Bellars is a village and civil parish near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 369. History The village is recorded in the Domesday Book under the name of Chirchebi. The name ...

, near

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...

Among many notable Masters was

George Osbaldeston George Osbaldeston (26 December 1786 – 1 August 1866), best known as Squire Osbaldeston, was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament but who had his greatest impact as a sportsman and first-class cricketer. Early life He wa ...

, who in 1823 became the first to return to the Mastership after having previously retired. Before gaining its present title in the mid-19th century, the hunt was often known by the name of its Master: for instance, from 1827 to 1831 it was called 'Lord Southampton's Hounds'. Until 1884, the hounds were owned by the Master, and a change of mastership took place either by purchase or inheritance. The hounds are now said to be "owned by the country", that is, by the hunt organization.Quorn Hunt
at mfha.org.uk In 1890,

Algernon Burnaby Algernon Edwyn Burnaby (9 April 1868 – 13 November 1938) of Baggrave Hall, Leicestershire, was an English landowner, soldier, and Justice of the Peace, and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. He was Master of the Quorn Hunt. E ...

and Count Eliot Zborowski together planned the Quorn Hunt's famous Midnight Steeplechase, a jumping race in the middle of the night over twelve

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s, with the riders dressed in nightshirts and top hats and the fences lit by oil lamps. Burnaby was the triumphant winner, gaining a silver cup provided by Zborowski. The race is commemorated in sporting prints. A Great Depression began in 1929, and subscriptions to the hunt began to fall. Burnaby, Master since 1912, recruited

Sir Harold Nutting The Nutting Baronetcy, of St Helens in Booterstown in the County of Dublin, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 12 January 1903 for John Nutting. He was Chairman of the firm E and J Burke Ltd and a Justice of ...

Quenby Hall Quenby Hall is a Jacobean house in parkland near the villages of Cold Newton and Hungarton, Leicestershire, England. It is described by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as "the most important early-seventeenth century house in the county f Leicestershire. T ...

, "newly rich from bottling Guinness", as his joint Master, and quipped "We don't want your personality, we want your purse!"

Jane Ridley Jane Ridley (born 15 May 1953) is an English historian, biographer, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Modern History at the University of Buckingham. Ridley won the Duff Cooper Prize in 2002 for ''The Architect and his Wife'', a biography ...

has estimated that during the following ten years Nutting spent about £15,000 a year on the Quorn. Three Hunt-class warships of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

have been called , after the Hunt.

Country

The Quorn hunts in a wide area of

, plus some

covert Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

s in

and

, stretching from just south of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

to the edge of the city of

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

and from Melton Mowbray westwards to

Ashby de la Zouch Ashby-de-la-Zouch, sometimes spelt Ashby de la Zouch () and shortened locally to Ashby, is a market town and civil parish in the North West Leicestershire district of Leicestershire, England. The town is near to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire ...

. On the eastern side of the country lies a rolling open landscape, with good fences to jump, while to the west are the wooded uplands of

Charnwood Forest Charnwood Forest is a hilly tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland; i ...

and the Pennine Chain. The best centres are around Melton Mowbray, Leicester and

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second larg ...

. In 1853, the southern part of its country was separated off to form the Fernie. The adjoining hunts are the Meynell and South Staffs (to the north west), the South Notts (to the north), the Belvoir (to the north east), the Cottesmore (to the south east), the Fernie (to the south), and the

Atherstone Atherstone is a market town and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. Located in the far north of the county, Atherstone is on the A5 national route, and is adjacent to the border with Leicestershire which ...

(to the south west).

Season and supporters

Hunting takes place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and (formerly) Saturdays, in the autumn and winter months only. More open country is hunted on Mondays and Fridays, the most popular days, with usually between one hundred and one hundred and fifty mounted followers, plus about twice as many who follow hounds on foot and with cars and bicycles. The smallest number of followers is on Tuesdays. Over eight hundred farmers in the country of the Quorn allow the hunt to use their land. There is a Supporters' Association. The hunt's 'Saturday Country' was formerly around Belton,

Staunton Harold Staunton Harold is a civil parish in North West Leicestershire about north of Ashby-de-la-Zouch. The parish is on the county boundary with Derbyshire and about south of Derby. The 2011 Census (including Lount) recorded the parish's population ...

and

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and has its own 'Saturday Country Wire and Damage Fund'.

List of Masters

*1696 to 1752: Mr Thomas Boothby *1753 to 1800: Mr Hugo Meynell *1800 to 1805:

William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton William Philip Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton (18 September 1772 – 20 November 1838), also known as Lord Dashalong, was a sportsman, gambler and a friend of the Prince Regent. Personal life Born in 1772, Lord Sefton was the only son of Charles Mo ...

*1805 to 1806:

Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley PC, DL (22 December 1780 – 16 April 1833), was a British peer and Whig politician. He served as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen Pensioners under Lord Grey between 1830 and 1833. Background Foley ...

*1806 to 1817: Mr Thomas Assheton Smith the Younger *1817 to 1821: Mr George Osbaldeston *1821 to 1823: Sir Bellingham Graham, 7th Baronet *1823 to 1827: Mr George Osbaldeston (again) *1827 to 1831:

Charles FitzRoy, 3rd Baron Southampton Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

*1831 to 1833: Sir Harry Goodricke *1833 to 1835: Mr Holyoake Goodricke *1835 to 1838: Mr Rowland Errington *1838 to 1839: Edward Harbord, 4th Baron Suffield *1839 to 1841: Mr Thomas Hodgson *1841 to 1847: Mr Henry Greene, of Rolleston *1847 to 1856:

Sir Richard Sutton, 2nd Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

*1856 to 1863:

George Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford George Harry Booth-Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford and 3rd Earl of Warrington (7 January 1827 – 2 January 1883) was an English cricketer, landowner and peer, who sat on the Whig benches in the House of Lords. Early life George Harry Booth-Grey w ...

*1863 to 1866: Mr Samuel Clowes *1866 to 1868:

The Marquess of Hastings ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

*1868 to 1870: Mr John Chaworth Musters *1870 to 1884: Mr John Coupland *1884 to 1896:

John Manners-Sutton, 3rd Baron Manners John Thomas Manners-Sutton (15 May 1852 – 19 August 1927) was a British nobleman. He is known for an 1881 wager, when Manners wagered that he could buy, train, and ride to victory a horse in the Grand National, and succeeded. Background and l ...

*1886 to 1893: Captain Warner (jointly) *1886 to 1893: William Byerley Paget (jointly) *1893 to 1898:

Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, (25 January 1857–13 April 1944) was an English peer and sportsman. Early life Born in 1857, he was the second son of Emily Susan (), daughter of St George Francis Caulfeild of Donamon Castle of Ro ...

*1898 to 1905: Captain E. ('Tommy') Burns Hartopp *1905 to 1918: Captain Francis ('Frank') Forester *1912 to 1932: Major Algernon E. Burnaby *1919 to 1928: W. E. Paget *1930 to 1940: Lt-Col. Sir Harold Nutting *1940 to 1947: Major P. Cantrell-Hubbersty (acting) *1948 to 1951: Mrs P. Cantrell-Hubbersty The Midnight Steeplechase

*1948 to 1951: Mr F. S. Mee *1948 to 1954:

Ronald Strutt, 4th Baron Belper Alexander Ronald George Strutt, 4th Baron Belper (28 April 1912 – 23 December 1999), was a British hereditary peer, British Army officer, and equestrian. Early life and education On 28 April 1912, Strutt was born to Algernon Strutt, 3rd Baron ...

*1954 to 1960: Lt-Col. G. A. Murray-Smith *1959 to 1962: Mrs G. A. Murray-Smith *1959 to 1985: Mrs Ulrica Murray-Smith *1960 to 1962: Lt-Col. T. C. Llewellen Palmer *1960 to 1962: Captain E. O. Corsfield *1962 to 1965: Brigadier R. G. Tilney *1965 to 1972: Captain J. D. A. Keith *1972 to 1985: Captain F. G. Barker *1975 to 1983: Mr A. J. M. Teacher *1985 to 1991: Mr J. Bealby *1985 to 1991: Mr E. R. Hanbury *1985 to 1991: Mr W. B. Hercock *1991 to 1994: Captain Fred. G. Barker (again) *1992 to 1994: Mr A. R. Macdonald Buchanan *1992 to 1995: Mrs D. E. H. Turner *1992 to 2000: Mr C. H. Geary *1994 to 1995: Mr R. G. Henson *1995 to 1996: Mr R. S. Morely *1995 to 1996: Mr R. Carden *1996 to 1997: Mr Robin C. Smith-Ryland *1992 to 2000: Mr Rad T. Thomas *1998 to 2000: Mr A. W. R. Dangar *1997 to 2003: Mr A. R. P. Carden *2000 to 2004: Mr R. Hunnisett *2002 to 2005: Mr W. Cursham

Post-ban

Although "hunting wild mammals with a dog" was made unlawful in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

by the

, which came into effect in 2005, the Quorn Hunt says that it continues to operate within the law. A number of exemptions stated in Schedule 1 of the 2004 Act permit some previously unusual forms of hunting wild mammals with dogs to continue, such as "hunting... for the purpose of enabling a bird of prey to hunt the wild mammal". In March 2021, during a lockdown for the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the Quorn Hunt was strongly criticised for carrying out activities to celebrate the birthday of its master. It was reported that people and hounds travelled out of the Quorn's county to the Burley-on-the-Hill area, and apparently engaged in illegal hunting. A supporter of a neighbouring hunt called for the resignation on all Quorn Hunt masters involved in the event after showing "complete disregard and disrespect for the thousands who have died from Covid-19". The

Countryside Alliance The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as farming, rural services, small businesses and field sports, aiming to "Give Rural Britain a voice". History The Countryside Alliance ...

clarified that any of its members present were there in a private capacity, not representing the Alliance, adding "There is no excuse for anyone engaged in

trail hunting Trail hunting is a legal, although controversial, alternative to hunting animals with hounds in Great Britain. A trail of animal urine (most commonly fox) is laid in advance of the 'hunt', and then tracked by the hound pack and a group of followers ...

activity during this time". In December 2022 Quorn Hunstman Ollie Finnegan plead guilty to illegally hunting with dogs on 7th January 2022.

Quorn Hunt Ball

There is also an annual Quorn Hunt Ball. In 2014, it took place at

Two Temple Place Two Temple Place, known for many years as Astor House, is a building situated near Victoria Embankment in central London, England.Moore, Rowan (15 October 2011)"Two Temple Place; University of the Arts London – review Viscount Astor's stately ...

in London but there is also one hosted in Leicestershire each year.

Bibliography

*William Charles Arlington Blew, ''The Quorn Hunt and its masters'', with illustrations by

Henry Alken Henry Thomas Alken (12 October 1785 – 7 April 1851) was an English painter and engraver chiefly known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects and coaching scenes.R. R. TatlockHenry Alken(The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs ...

(London: John C. Nimmo, 1899)
outline
at archive.org, accessed 6 August 2019 *William Scarth Dixon, ''The Quorn Hunt'' *Lady Augusta Fane, ''Chit-Chat'' (London: Thornton Butterworth, 1926) *Daphne Machin Goodall, ''Huntsmen of the Golden Age'' (London: H.F. & G. Witherby, 1956) *Roy Heron, ''Tom Firr of the Quorn, Huntsman Extraordinary'' (Liss: Nimrod Book Services, 1984) *Ulrica Murray-Smith, ''Magic of the Quorn'' (London: J. A. Allen & Co., 1980) *J. Otho Paget, ''Memories of the Shires'' (Methuen, 1920, republ. 2012) *"Cecil", ''The Quorn Hunt: the Accustomed Places of Meeting, with Distances from Railway Stations'', circa 18

References

{{reflist

External links

quorn-hunt.co.uk
- official web site
Quorn Hunt photos
at Nico Morgan Media

at antique-prints.co.uk History of Leicestershire Sport in Leicestershire Fox hunts in the United Kingdom Fox hunts in England